Album Reviews by Constant Listener (aka Andrew H. Lee), a top Amazon.com music reviewer and regular contributor for Easy Street Records in Seattle, WA

Favorite Albums

Dear Music Appreciators,

This is an ongoing list of my favorite albums. These are not the greatest albums ever made (well, some of them might be), and this is not an objective, pseudo-scholarly music critic’s list, but these are my favorite albums. By favorite, I mean those from which I get the most listening pleasure. I have a couple of special bamboo box CD holders filled with these albums on CD – you know, just in case there’s a fire, I can grab it and go.

Just like the apes at the beginning of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, this list will evolve over time, will learn to swing a club, to stand up a little straighter, and someday, if I’m lucky, I’ll throw a bone in the air and it will turn into a spaceship.

If you see something you like, please check it out. If you’ve got a list of your own, please share it. Maybe we’ll both find our next favorite…

Sincerely,

Constant Listener

P.S. As time goes by and if and when I’m in the mood, I hope to continue to write on this page about my reasons for loving each of these albums.

@#%&*! SMILERS– Aimee Mann

For its sad attitude and intelligence and rollickingly dark pop-rockiness – for the catchy, throbbing opener “Freeway” – for the breakup song “Phoenix” and the line “You love me like a dollar bill, you roll me up and trade me in” – for the cynical getting older anthem “31 Today” – and for the packaging – the CD digipak with its lyrics and artwork really does make a case that sometimes a tangible record you can hold in your hands is just better.

INFINITE ARMS – Band of Horses

For all its down-in-the-canyon, under-the-open-sky, sweet and sour goodness – for its reverb-soaked, late night radio lead vocals – for its bearded mountain men retro rock harmonies – for the anthemic and catchy-as-hell personal conflict of “Laredo” – for the slow twist and turn questioning of “Blue Beard” – for the creeping Carolina hillbilly magic of “Older” – for the line “Now if Bartles and James didn’t need no first names…” – for so many things, but most of all for the fact that every song goes down smooth and if any of them burn they burn pretty sweetly.

FURR – Blitzen Trapper

For that song about turning into a wolf.

ALBERTINE – Brooke Fraser

For sounding beautiful and making me feel like I want to be a good person.

BORN IN THE U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen

TUNNEL OF LOVE – Bruce Springsteen

FIRE ON THE VINE – Bryan John Appleby

WELCOME JOY – The Cave Singers

CURSE YOUR BRANCHES – David Bazan

ARE YOU A DREAMER? – Denison Witmer

CARRY THE WEIGHT – Denison Witmer

NOT EXOTIC – Dolorean

FLEET FOXES – Fleet Foxes

FLEETWOOD MAC – Fleetwood Mac

RUMOURS – Fleetwood Mac

THE RUMINANT BAND – Fruit Bats

SPELLED IN BONES – Fruit Bats

HARPER SIMON – Harper Simon

THE CREEK DRANK THE CRADLE – Iron & Wine

OUR ENDLESS NUMBERED DAYS – Iron & Wine

GREATEST HITS – James Taylor

SEABASTOPOL – Jay Farrar

BACK HOME AGAIN – John Denver

HELLO STARLING – Josh Ritter

THE ANIMAL YEARS – Josh Ritter

BEDROOM CLASSICS VOL. III – Josh Rouse

NASHVILLE – Josh Rouse

SUBTITULO – Josh Rouse

CHINESE BOXES – Kim Richey

NOT THE TREMBLING KIND – Laura Cantrell

WHEN THE ROSES BLOOM AGAIN – Laura Cantrell

GIFT OF SCREWS – Lindsey Buckingham

CAR WHEELS ON A GRAVEL ROAD – Lucinda Williams

STUPID LOVE – Mindy Smith

CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH – Patty Griffin

1000 KISSES – Patty Griffin

GRACELAND – Paul Simon

THE RHYTHM OF THE SAINTS – Paul Simon

TEN – Pearl Jam

For the fact that This came out when I was thirteen and I still remember my older brother showing me the black and white video for “Alive” on MTV where Eddie climbs the proscenium at The Moore. I noted that the protagonist of “Alive” was “home alone at age 13” and even though I never was myself I still felt like I could related for some reason just by virtue of being thirteen myself. My brother also blasted “Alive” on the tape deck of his Subaru Brat when he drove me to baseball practice. He also somehow got my dad to laugh at the line in “Jeremy” – “gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady’s breast.”